Roll Call Alaska 2015

[trcgolf]

I know its early but we have been planning for the past 3 months. I know its another 15 months at least till we leave but we are just going crazy...
So here is our very rough plan overview. Leave mid June from western NY; travel west up through Ill., Wis., Min., ND, into Canada.
Diagonally across Saskatch. and Alberta, BC, and YT...
Our first destination is Fairbanks, via Top of the World Highway... thinking of doing the Dempster to the Arctic Circle. I know there will many stops... some short, some long but all will be great.
Fairbanks to Homer with the obligatory Denali stop for a few days.
Homer to Portland Or; Oregon to San Fran; San Fran to home via the Northern US.

We have so much planning yet to do but reading all the Roll Call posts in 2013, and 2014 just keeps us going. Started to plan finances which brings us to the first major question.
I have heard all the diesel advantages and draw backs of the gas engines. We invested in a 32' fifth wheel and 2013 GMC 2500 HD with 6.0L Crew 4x4. The fiver weighs about 8K empty, I would guess 10,500 loaded. ( I will get that checked for sure)Brand new to Rving

The truck is my every dayer.... need the 4 wheel drive here in winter. The decision with gas was pure economics. A Cummins diesel and matching tranny was $9500 more. Doing the math it was going to take a bunch of miles to save enough in mileage to pay for the increase in price. About 100000 mile by my calculation. We not going to be full timers; one long trip a year to Florida.
Traveling around NY and Pa and maybe Florida, that all makes sense but going on a trip like this, I am not so sure gas was the way to go. So I am asking for those who used a truck like mine to haul a fifth wheel through Canada...Alaska...et al... What kind of mileage can I expect? Sorry for the novelette...I will get better at this.

Edited to add 'Alaska' within the title.

[Rocky2]

This will be my third trip up to the Great Land. We will be leaving California a little late this time, end of June. Rocky the wonder dog is no longer with me but Charlie the wonder dog will be along. See you on the road.

[okgc]

okgc wrote:
Posted: 10/05/14 10:09am - Count us in for 2015. We will be in Dawson Creek on or before May 16th 2015.

You missed us on the list. :h

The Caravan was canceled so we are traveling solo like normal. We start heading NW from our home base about May 1st. :B

[stickdog]

We would like to be added to the list of trekkers. We will be heading North from Kerrville TX mid April with plans to be at Tetlin NWR Visitor center 1229 Mile Marker AK Highway on May 18th for our volunteer position. Stop in and say hello, we'll be there till July 10 before wandering around the rest of AK till late August or early September.

John & Sandi

[Ol_coot]

Bob
Could you add us to your list? Dave & Lynn out of (Wacky)Waco Tx. Riding white 2500HD pulling white Springdale. And with us taking our time to see as much as we can, we'll be the guys over in the slow lane when they have one (Ha). And yes this is our first road trip north so will be spending a lot of time reading and asking some odd questions to the old timers. Thanks in advance for all putting up with us since we (me) type as slow as we (I) talk.

Dave & Lynn

[2gypsies1]

hjeaton65 wrote:
In 2013, we were planning, planning, planning. Now at this point, our whole plans consist of: leaving Ohio around Memorial Day, back to Ohio around Sept. 1. Period. Soooooooo...what will we miss if we din't reserve now???

You won't miss a thing without reservations. You'll have a carefree trip! However, as you get closer to destinations of Denali Nat'l Park or the July 4 weekend, it would be wise to make reservations for those. We did so three weeks out.

[hjeaton65]

Well..gonna try this again! Thought we would be able to go in 2013, then 2014. A dear friend was diagnosed with pancreatic Cancer in Jan. 2013, so we felt we had to stay closer to home both years. He passed away in June 2014, so THIS IS THE YEAR...Lord willing. In 2013, we were planning, planning, planning. Now at this point, our whole plans consist of: leaving Ohio around Memorial Day, back to Ohio around Sept. 1. Period. Soooooooo...what will we miss if we din't reserve now??? Planning to find something small to tow to cut expenses then sell after the trip. We'll be the Silver GMC with a cap, Ohio License plates...stop and say "howdy!"

[Ol_coot]

OK count us in for Roll Call 2015. We leave Texas headed to Arkansas early May to fish at Bull Shoals and from there headed North on 21st of May. Not sure at the moment of just where we'll cross into Canada or when but looking around Montana early June. We plan on taking our time, NO rush. Looking at going to Fairbanks as the northern point. Everything else we'll start after our morning coffee and see what's around us. Again taking time to see, you know smell the roses thing.

[PILOTRACE]

Count us in rollcall 2015. We are leaving Orlando Florida to Alaska. We are leaving on May 5, 2015 and returning back to Florida August 10, 2015. We are traveling in an enterga anthem motorhome43 footer tow a 2014 Dodge four-wheel-drive pick up.

[garyhaupt]

I have in hand an E mailed response to my questions and it says nothing. Talks about how they are working with 'stakeholders". No mention of how they intend to actually close the border and talks about the legal responsibilities "to present oneself to authorities". I guess one could drive back to Stewart outside of operating hours and then return to the offices after 8am.

I don't know how well that would be received, tho.


Gary Haupt

[garyhaupt]

Just to up-date. I had a phone conversation with a CBSA officer from Vancouver, who really had no idea about anything. I was told that I would receive a call from someone more knowledgeable about the plan.

Should I ever get that call, I will relate.


Gary Haupt

[okgc]

^ Wish our roads in West Michigan right now looked that clear of ice & snow.

[sue_t]

Well, none of you will be the first on the Alaska Highway heading to Alaska. Saw this rig heading north today, between Whitehorse and Haines Junction.

[garyhaupt]

joe b. wrote:
Just because the station is closed, doesn't mean there won't be a Canadin Customs patrol officer or RCMP officer parked out front. Unlike us, Canada takes entering the country illegally, very seriously.

Going from the Canadian side to the U.S. side never required a stop anyways. Why would it be any different if the station is closed? Leaving a country is seldom a problem. We all only stop when entering, not leaving.

welllll..yes, but I think there might be a maybe too. I have had occasion to be involved in a road-block on the US side of the Peace Arch border crossing, manned by US folks..and that was before getting to the CDN CBSA. And more than once, tho not often...I don't recall what the circumstances were, but it was Border people.


Gary Haupt

[joe_b_]

Just because the station is closed, doesn't mean there won't be a Canadin Customs patrol officer or RCMP officer parked out front. Unlike us, Canada takes entering the country illegally, very seriously.

Going from the Canadian side to the U.S. side never required a stop anyways. Why would it be any different if the station is closed? Leaving a country is seldom a problem. We all only stop when entering, not leaving.

[CA_Traveler]

agesilaus wrote:
Then what would stop someone from the Canadian side from driving across. They must be blocking the road going both ways otherwise it would be senseless.

I wondered about that. The road does split but if not blocked one could drive on the opposite side on the road to enter Canada. But you would then enter Canada illegally which doesn't sound like a good idea.